Improvement in feather-renovators



W. R. LAUGHEAD.

FEATHER-RENOVATOR.

No. 180,893. 7 Patented Aug.8,1876.

IN- PEI'ERS, PHOTO-UTHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON- D C.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. LAU'QHEAD, or HAMILTON, OHIO.

I ilM PR o vE MEN'l'llN FEATHERrRENOVATORS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,893, dated August8, 1876; application filed i July 10, 1876.

. To all whom it may concernr Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. LAUGH- EAD,of Hamilton, in 'the county of Butler and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and usefullmprovements in Feather-Renovators, of which thefollowing is a specification:

at the top of the renovating-chamber.

The feathers are renovated within a cylindrical case, the lower portionof which is double, and forms the drying-chamber, while a revolvingshaft of beaters thoroughly agitates the feathers. The steam isintroduced to the feathers by a pipe, which enters the bottom of thecylinder, and is hooded by a cap, against which the steam impinges, andby which it is deflected and diffused throughout the body of thefeathers from a point in the middle of the bottom. This plan I havefound to be much more effective than by introducing the steam in jetsfrom a pipe along the length of a cylinder, because, by the open tubeand cap, the steam enters with much greater force among the feathers,and does its work of inflating the feathers better and quicker than canbe accomplished by jets issuing from small perforations, which are moreor less covered up, while the cap-hooded exit of the steam-pipe isalways open, and the steam issues therefrom in such volume as to insurethe proper degree of steam-heat to destroy the animal life and renderthe feathers buoyant and light, and to accomplish which satisfactorilyboth force and heat are found to be essential. A branch from this pipeleads into the double casing which forms the drying-chamber, but thesteam must not enter both chambers at the same time, since it doesnot doto drythe feathers while subjecting them to the direct action of steam,and I therefore provide both branches of the steam pipe with stop-cocks,sothat the steam is cut off from the drying-chamber while the feathersare being subjected to its direct action,

and when this is continued a sufficient length of time it is out 61f,and the pipe leading to the drying-chamber opened. This arrangement ofthe stop-cocks is important to insure aproper and separate treatment offeathers. A ventilating pipe rises from the top of therenovating-chamber to allow all the fumes and vapors to pass out withthe steam, and thereby prevent their condensation at the bottom of therenovating-chamber, which is objectionable, as it prevents a completepurification of the feathers. The top section of the case is providedwith a door for introducing the feathers, and one through which thefeathers are fanned out by the continued ope-ration of the revolvingheaters.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a verticallongitudinal section of a feather-renovator embracing my invention; Fig.2, a cross-section of the same, showing the manner of discharging thefeathers from the renovating-chamber and Figs. 3 and 4, detail views.

The case is composed of two sections, A and B, the ends of which areWood, and the cylindrical casing is of zinc or sheet iron. The lowersection B is double, and forms the drying-chamber 0, being supportedupon suitable legs, while' the upper section is removable, and issecured in place by hooks and eyes, and forms, with the lower section, acircle about five feet in diameter. Within the chamber formed by thiscasing the feathers are renovated while under the agitating action ofradial heaters D, the shaft of which is revolved by a belt from theengine. A steampipe, E, leads from a boiler, and enters the bottom ofthe lower section, passes through the drying-chamber O, and opens intothe renovating-chamber at the middle thereof, where it is secured andclamped by a screw-nut, c, a rubber packing, a, closing the joint at thebottom of the case. A cap or hood, F, placed over the open end of thesteam-pipe E, serves to deflect and diffuse the steam in all directionamong the feathers in the chamber while they are under agitation, theforce with which it enters from the open pipe and the heat of the volumeserving to produce the desired effect upon the feathers. A branch, G,from the steam-pipe enters the double chamber 0,

for heating the inner casing of the lower section to dry the feathersafter the renovating operation is over, and for this purpose the pipes Eand G are provided with stop-cocks e and g, by which the direct actionof the steam upon the feathers is cut off while they are being dried,and vice versa. This treatment of the feathers under separate anddistinct op erations is very important to insure their proper cleaningand dryingin the same chamber. A pipe, H, leads from the drying-cham'her to let out the steam. A pipe, I, having a perforated bottom, alsoleads from the top section of the renovating-chamber to carry off thefumes and impure steam, and prevent its condensation at the bottom ofsaid chamber. The beaters revolve over the cap of the steam-pipe, andthe latter is thereby kept from being filled by the feathers. Theremovable section of the case is secured by hooks and eyes at the ends,and it is provided with two doors, J and K, through one of which, J, thefeathers are turned into the chamber, and through the other, K, they areemptied therefrom by being fanned out by the boaters into thecooling-room, the operation being completed by the continuous rotationof the beaters or arms and the changing of the steam from one chamber tothe other, and during which the escape-pipes from both sections areopen. The shaft of heaters may be turned by crank-handle, if desired.

I claim- I I 1. The open cap or hood F, arranged at the bottom of thecasing, which forms the dryingchamber 0, in combination with thesteampipe E, having its open end entering the bottom of the fixedrenovating-chamber beneath said hood, and the beaters D, revolving oversaid hood, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the renovating and drying chambers, and thesteam-pipe E, arranged as described, of the clam p-nut c and the packinga, as and for the purpose herein set forth. V

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM R. LAUGHEAD.

Witnesses:

J. G. MASSEY, JOSEPH A. CUNNINGHAM.

